Room Darkening Curtains – An Overview
The best place to get a good night’s sleep is in a darkened, well-ventilated room. People who work during the night hours or who are unable to sleep in a partially lit room will find room darkening shades or curtains beneficial. Also called blackout curtains or light blocking curtains, room darkening curtains are ideal for media rooms and home theaters as well.
Room darkening curtains are made from tight woven fabrics or have a solid lining. Drapes with a thermal lining provides an additional benefit of keeping out heat during the summer and retaining heat during the winter. Although room darkening draperies were quite plain in the past, you can now find them available in a variety of colors and styles.
If you are looking for room darkening curtains for kids, JC Penney, Target and BedBathStore.com sell Eclipse Kids’ Twill Thermaweave Black-out panels which are made of special woven and non-woven polyester that blocks virtually all light. They also help reduce heating and cooling costs. Pottery Barn Kids sells Mini Dot Panels, Gingham Panels and Sailcloth Panels with blackout liners as well as blackout panels which can be used separately or as layering pieces.
HalfPricedDrapes.com offers their Signature Blackout Velvet Curtains which are composed of a high-quality poly velvet lined with a blackout polyester fabric. Learn more in this product video:
Overstock and BedBathStore.com sell thermal curtains in a variety of colors and materials including faux silk, faux suede and faux leather. White room darkening curtains are difficult to find. A popular brand, Wamsutta blackout panels, is no longer on the market. Bed Bath & Beyond, which previously carried Wamsutta blackout panels, does offer white room darkening curtains. Insola Odyssey Insulating Window Panels are decorative grommet top curtains that are fully lined and interlined and made from 100% polyester. Panels are 54 inches in width and are available in 63, 84, 95 and 108 inch lengths. Color choices include white, black, seagrass, purple, beige and brown. If you are a little more flexible in terms of color, you can find room darkening drapes in off-white colors such ivory, linen, bone or eggnog colors at BedBathStore.com and Overstock.
Before purchasing room darkening window curtains, make sure to do your research online, look out for sales and check out customer reviews. You should double-check the material also to see whether the panels are washable or dry clean only if cleaning is an issue.
